What's the most reasonable way to do Disney?

[debbiebones]

Any tips or suggestions on the best way to go to Disney economically? We're thinking about joining DVC but I'm also curious as to how those who don't join come up with a well-priced vacation there.

Thanks for any info!

Deb

 

[Bichon Barb]

When are you going?

 

[debbiebones]

Actually, we just got off of a 7-day Disney Cruise and we're looking at sometime next January or February for our WDW trip.

 

[Bichon Barb]

The reason I asked, Debbie, is because we are renting a three bedroom townhome next week. We rented directly from the owner, and it is minutes from Disney. Anyway, I was on their website today, and they have some great deals--especially if you are going in, I believe, May. Anyway, if it sounds like something you might be interested in, the website is: http://www.orlando-rental-home.com.

The reason we went this route is mainly because of the excellent rate. But also, we aren't slaves to Disney restautants. This is our first time off site.

Good luck.

 

[kilee]

I know I will get a lot of slack for this but, to truly do Disney on a budget you need to stay off site. I know it's not the same "magic", but it still makes for a wonderful vacation. We stay for one week at a time. I use every code available and I still can't get a room at Disney for anywhere near what I can off site. We usually do the Day's Inn or something comparable. We have always had a clean, modern room with many amenities. The price always under $35.00 a night. We usually go in moderate to high season too. This saves us over $200.00 right off the top. Then when you are off site it is easier to have a wider variety of places to eat at night after parks close. These are usually cheaper too. Also, most hotels offer free shuttles.
I love Disney, but we couldn't go very often if we didn't use some cost saving techiniques.

 

[bobcat]

I like to stay onsite because I like the convienence of not having to drive everywhere and I like the theming of being inside the magic. (I have stayed offsite and had a great time as well but prefer to stay onsite.) I still have a very tight budget and manage to go to Disney at least once a year.

I stay at the All Stars most trips, staying at other resorts when I can get a good rate. I also bought annual passes this year which seem expensive at first until I am able to use them for a second trip, or third and fourth this year.

I plan a budget for meals and souvineers and stick too it. I have done a week in Disney for as little as $1000 with PHP staying at FW. It all depends on what you can afford to spend and what is important to you.

 

[disneysteve]

We stay off-site for no more than $40/nite.
We eat breakfast in our hotel room (cereal, pop-tart, juice)
We pack some snacks for the parks.
We refill our water bottle with tap water and ice at the hotel and in the parks.
We drive to Orlando from New Jersey - no airfare and no rental car fees.
We share meals at places where the servings are too big for one.
We only drink water - no $2.50 Cokes.
We buy annual passes if we know we will get a second trip out of them.
We eat several meals off property.

Plenty of other little things you can do to save money, but those are the big ones I can of right now.

Steve

 

[EjandMD]

disneysteve had some excellent suggestions. The only thing I would really add would be that if you must stay on property (as my fiance says we must do) purchase an annual pass and use the discount for booking your rooms. Depending on where you stay, the AP may end up paying for itself with the money you save.

Saving on food is also paramount, as MD and I almost never eat breakfast or lunch in the parks, and we often eat on international drive for dinner. Food is where you can overspend the most, along with souvoniers (sic).

A well thought out budget with a little wiggle room is the best defense against an expensive vacation...

Have fun!

 

[mad4themouse]

The cheapest way to do WDW:

• Go off season when hotels are at their cheapest.
• Stay off-site for less than it would cost for an All-Star room, better yet, go camping!
• Stay at a hotel that offers free breakfast buffet with your stay.
• Eat you big meals off-site. OR...
• Book a room that has a kitchenette and cook your meals there.
• Drive from home to Orlando instead of flying.
• If you've got to fly, don't rent a car. Take a towncar from the airport to your hotel with one grocery stop or, even cheaper, take a Lynx bus, Orlando's public transportation.
• Take advantage of hotel shuttles instead of driving your car and paying for parking.
• Bring your own water and snacks into the parks.
• If you must dine in the parks, eat a large lunch instead of dinner. Split meals when you can.
• Buy park passes from an online broker for only the number of days you'll need. If you plan to visit the parks more than 7 days in a year, consider buying APs.
• Limit souvenir purchases to a bare minimum.
• Buy your souvenirs at the outlet stores.
• Don't buy into the "extras" like Hoop-de-Doo, Illuminations cruises or special tours.
• Do the ice cream social in EPCOT instead of a character breakfast if you absolutely must do a character experience.

While these suggestions may not be everyone's idea of the ideal vacation, they are some of the least expensive ways to see the World that I can think of.

 

[Mom+4]

A good way to save on food, I've found, is to set a certain amount you want to spend per day, separate it into envelopes for each day of your trip, and ONLY carry the appropriate envelope for each day when you head out to the parks in the morning. We did this in summer 2000 with at budget of $100 per day for a family of 6, and it worked very well. We even had enough money left over for an extra character breakfast on our last day. I had gotten an idea of the most reasonably priced restaurants from wdwig.com and actually carried a list of restaurant names, food offered and general prices, for each park, and consulted my list at lunch and dinner time. My family thought I was crazy when I was doing all the reserach, but was very grateful when we got to eat in the parks every day. We did the same thing for souvenir purchases, but I don't remember the budget. I also had an envelope with a set amount for each child, and they knew that when "their" money was gone, it was gone. I hope these ideas work for you. Have a good trip!

 

[disneysteve]

I have found one money-saving tip that many people, even regular WDW visitors, don't realize. Most of the counter service restaurants sell "basket" meals - burger and fries, sandwich and fries, etc. It isn't on the menu, but you can order the sandwich seperately. When we go, one of us will get the basket, the other two just get the sandwich and we all share the one large order of fries. That saves a couple of dollars per meal. There are often cheaper options not presented on the menu board - Disney's way of getting you to spend more than necessary.

Steve

P.S. Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland has a great toppings bar so you can go cheap with a plain beef or veggie burger and load up on the free toppings.